


Father and Son

by sebastian2017



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with no happy ending, Father-Son Relationship, Genosha, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 08:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22092943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sebastian2017/pseuds/sebastian2017
Summary: Charles doesn't expect fatherhood to be one of the things he gains when he moves to Genosha.He shouldn't get used to it regardless.
Relationships: Background Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr, David Haller & Charles Xavier
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Father and Son

**Author's Note:**

> CW: alcohol, no happy ending

Genosha is a lovely place. It’s warmer than Charles is used to and it seems everyone on the island shares a distrust for Charles, but he can’t really blame them for being wary and no one’s been rude, so it’s not a great burden for Charles to bear. He’s mostly preoccupied with Erik these days. 

“They’ll grow used to your presence soon enough,” Erik promises one day, walking along next to Charles as they wander the community’s edge. 

“I know. Most of them simply dislike strangers, not just me in particular,” Charles agrees. “I don’t mind it.” 

That is, perhaps, the wrong thing to say. It jinxes it, it seems, because not two hours later, as he and Erik are sitting over a round of chess in their room, a boy walks in and absolutely freezes the second he spots Charles. He looks vaguely familiar, but Charles is sure they’ve never met before. He’s not the sort to forget a face. Or a mind, and this boy as the unique sort of mind that is powerful enough to naturally block out Charles. It’s fascinating and Charles immediately hopes for a change to explore it further. 

The boy is decidedly not impressed. He looks between Charles and Erik, sputtering for a few moments before simply glaring at him. “Erik. What’s going on?” 

“Ah. David. I thought you were traveling with Ruth?” Erik shifts about uncomfortably, which is enough to worry Charles. It’s rare to see Erik truly uncomfortable like this. “When did you get home.” 

“It doesn’t matter. When did you bring Charles Xavier to our community? A place that’s supposed to be  _ safe  _ for us, isn’t it?” David asks. 

Before David can respond, Charles turns to face the boy and holds his hand out. An attempt at the polite diplomacy that got him both so far and to his ugly downfall. “Hello. It seems I’m at a disadvantage. You know me and I don’t know you. David, was it?” 

“No, you don’t know me,” he agrees. “Big shock, isn’t it?” 

David turns on his heel and storms off from Erik’s strange little studio apartment. Charles frowns as he watches him leave, then turns towards Erik, who looks suspiciously guilty. He’s tempted to just pry in Erik’s mind to see what’s troubling him, but no. He’s better than this. He’ll keep being better than this. Even if the anxious suspense might drive him mad.

“I have a feeling you know more than you let on,” Charles notes. 

Erik sighs. “It’s not my place to say. But perhaps you should follow after him. Have a talk.” 

“A talk with the strange boy who knows me and seems to hate me. Of course. Why not?” Charles reaches over to knock his king on its side in a surrender.

“He’s by the lake, I’d guess. Try… Try to think with your heart instead of that big brain of yours, okay?” he suggests. 

That’s ominous, to say the least, but Charles has been through rock bottom and back. He can handle some surly stranger in his twenties. He’s spend nearly two decades in a boarding school full of ostracized teenagers. Charles is nothing if not strong hearted.

He finds David sitting by the lake, just like Erik said. He’s nursing a half empty bottle of cheap vodka, which reminds Charles of some of his own younger years. It’s not his place to lecture some boy he doesn’t know, though, so he makes no comment as he wheels up towards him. David’s eye flicker over to Charles, then immediately back to his drink, a halfhearted attempt to ignore him.

“Hello, David. It seems you don’t like me very much,” Charles says, pulling his brakes on as he stops next to him. “You’re certainly not alone in that. Care to share why, though?” 

“What difference would it even make at this point?” he asks. 

“Well. It’ll give me some peace of mind, at least.” Charles shrugs. 

David laughs softly under his breath and has another drink of vodka. “Figures everything’s about you, isn’t it? Do you remember a Gabby, by any chance? Israeli tourist in New York in the summer of ‘70?” 

“1970?” he repeats, shifting about a bit uncomfortably. He doesn’t remember much of that year or a few of the ones after it, really. Still a bit of a shameful spot in his history. “I’m afraid not.” 

“I thought so,” David mumbles. 

A moment later, Charles feels a persistent nudge against his mind. Before he can even properly open his mind up to David, the boy goes in just the same and dregs up both some of his own memories of his mother and memories from some untouched long forgotten corners of Charles’ own mind. And suddenly, Charles realizes that David looks familiar because it’s so very close to the face he sees everyday he looks in a mirror. 

There’s probably a great deal he should say, but all he can get out for the moment is a feeble, “Oh.” 

“Yeah. Oh,” David repeats, shaking his head. With a sigh, David stands up and starts to walk off again. “Never mind. Go back to your little honeymoon or whatever you’re doing here.” 

“David, wait. I didn’t even know you existed until a few seconds ago. Give me a chance, wouldn’t you?” Charles pleads. 

“I’ve done fine for more than two decades without you. I’ll keep doing fine, thanks.” 

David is gone half a second later. Charles isn’t sure if he’s teleported away or simply interfered with Charles’ perception of time through his telepathy. It doesn’t much matter now anyway. He’s gone and Charles is alone again, with a bottle of cheap alcohol and the knowledge that he has a fully grown son. 

It’s enough to make anyone want to down every last drop of liquor left in the bottle, but of course, that’s probably the worst decision he can make right now. So instead, he tucks it away on his lap and starts the lonely trip back to his and Erik’s apartments. This is the last thing he’d expected when he came to Genosha and for all he thought he was prepared for anything, he very clearly isn’t. When he gets back to their room, Erik’s pouring out tea for the both of them, looking guilty. At least he feels bad about this whole thing. 

“I take it you’ve known for a while?” Charles asks, pulling up at their table with a weary sigh. 

Erik nods as he mixes in a splash of milk and sugar ito Charles’ tea. “I did. Like I said, it wasn’t my place to tell.” 

Charles is afraid to hear the answer to his next question, but he also can’t possibly go on without knowing. “How long have you known?” 

“He came to the island a few months after we were established. He told me the truth then and begged me not to tell. He’s not a child. Who am I to tell him what to do?” Erik takes a seat down across from Charles, with the same steely face and squared shoulders as when they sit for a truce over chess after a long argument. On when they’re playing games of chess to delay an inevitable fight. Charles has a feeling it’s the latter. 

“Not just any child, Erik.  _ My  _ child!” he insists. “Was that worth nothing? Not a quick phone call?” 

“He deserved to make that choice, Charles. It was his to make. I know it hurts, but there’s nothing to be done now.” Erik, at least, looks apologetic. 

“Why wouldn’t he want me to know? I’m his father. Shouldn’t he have been eager to know me?” Charles asks. 

“Those all seem like… questions you should ask him yourself. I didn’t pry. It’s not my place,” he says again. 

Charles grumbles softly under his breath. “Seems like a lot of things aren’t when it’s convenient.” 

Charles wheels away from their table, deciding he’s had enough of this conversation for today. Rather wisely, Erik stays behind to clean up all their undrinked tea and isn’t back in the bedroom until Charles is already in bed and firmly facing towards a wall so he doesn’t have to face Erik. It’s unwise to go to bed angry like this, probably especially so in a relationship with history like theirs, but Charles’ simply can’t bring himself to not be upset at the situation. Better to wait until he’s cooled off by morning before tackling this head on. 

Sure enough, when he wakes up the next morning, he’s feeling slightly better. Not quite so ready to blow up at any moment. Erik must be feeling guilty, though, because there’s a mug of tea and some biscuits on the nightstand waiting for him. They’ll have to talk properly soon, but for now, Charles just sits himself up in bed to enjoy the tea before getting himself ready for the day. Their home is rather small, like most places in Genosha, so if Charles hasn’t already seen Erik around, it’s almost certainly because he’s out working around the island. Either that or he’s hiding on the roof, which is also something Charles wouldn’t put past him. 

But no, when Erik comes back home close to an hour later, he stops just outside the doorway to empty his boots of sand. He explains, “I was out helping with the new dock we’re building.” 

“I’d expect no less from Genosha’s fearless leader,” he agrees. “Thank you for the tea this morning. But Erik… you know we have to talk about this.” 

“I know. I stand by what I said that it wasn’t my secret to share. He was already a grown man when I met him. He’s allowed to make those decisions for himself,” Erik insists. 

“I’m his father. Shouldn’t that be enough?” Charles sighs. 

“I know you’re frustrated, but you’re asking me questions only David can answer,” he points out. “He’s in a difficult situation, just like you are. And I’m the one who happens to be in the middle of it. I love you a great deal, but I care about David, too. He’s a good kid and I feel responsible for everyone on the island, but especially the ones who don’t have anyone else to look after them.” 

Charles can’t argue much in his defence. He knows Erik was probably in the right to respect David’s wishes, even if Charles wishes it didn’t need to be this way. He should probably apologize for being so harsh on Erik, who’s just trying to do the impossible task of pleasing as many people as possible, but like the many times he should do something, Charles simply doesn’t, and hopes it’ll pass over with time. 

“Do you suppose he’ll give me a chance?” Charles asks. It’s not really an answer he wants to hear, but he’s caused himself plenty of trouble before by avoiding the things he doesn’t want to hear. 

“I’ve found that with David… It’s often best to just, never really assume you completely understand what’s going to happen. He’s kind of… a wild card,” Erik explains, in what Charles recognizes as a sort of diplomatic tone of voice of trying not to say anything that’ll cause too much trouble. 

Charles isn’t even sure what half of that means, but he nods slowly. “I’ll… wait and see what happens. Keep an open mind about it.” 

“Probably for the best. And, in the meantime, you have me.” 

  
  


\---- 

Charles doesn’t see David again for a few weeks. That’s an odd thing here on Genosha. This place is still so small and with such a small population, it’s practically impossible to not run into everyone over the course of a few days. Charles suspects David’s simply left the island again or, more likely, has used his powers to help himself stay hidden away. Charles can’t really blame him. 

He’s spent this time doing his best to recall the drunken, drugged up hook up that had led to David in the first place. And remembering Gabby leads him to researching which leads him to finding out a great deal about David and the family he’d grown up with and God, he’d really hurt this poor boy by not being there, hadn’t he? Maybe he couldn’t have stopped how things had gone, but he could have at least been there to pick up the pieces. 

But he hadn’t, and there’s no changing that now. Charles is still grappling to accept that part, even though he knows they won’t be getting anywhere in their relationship until he does. He can’t go back to change any of what’s happened, but he can damn well make sure to be better from now on. Wallowing in shame won’t help either of them. He’s not going to force it, but… if David decides to give having a father another chance, Charles will be here, waiting and hoping he’s ready. 

Despite all the promises to himself that he absolutely won’t pressure David should he see him around the island again, that plan is pretty much wasted the second he opens the front door one afternoon and finds David standing just outside of it. Despite everything he’d planned on doing when he next sees David, Charles just gets an absurdly eager look on his face and wheels out of the way for David to come inside. 

“Hello! I didn’t think I’d see you around here any time soon,” Charles admits. 

“Yes… I didn’t think I’d be here any time soon, either,” he agrees. David steps inside and takes a seat in their living room, though only after staring at the couch like it might swallow him whole. “I got tired of scheduling all my days around trying to avoid you.” 

Ah. So that had been on purpose, like Charles suspected. Still, he doesn’t make any comment on it. “Understandable. Have you come up with another solution? I won’t be leaving the island any time soon, unfortunately, but I’m happy to try to find a way to accommodate you. You were here first, after all.” 

“Ruth says I should probably just actually talk to you,” David says. He sighs and starts fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket, picking and tugging at the fabric, though Charles politely ignores it. 

“Ruth?” he repeats. “Another resident of the island?” 

He answers, “My girlfriend.” 

And ah. That makes sense. Charles is very tempted to ask a million questions about her, eager to get to know the girl who has his son’s heart ad to be a part of his life. But of course, that’s not really his place right now, when they have no real relationship together. “I’m sure she’s lovely. Well. I’ll be a good pair of listening ears as long as you’d like. Or… you know. If you’d like an apology… I will.” 

“I don’t doubt it. You radiate guilt loudly enough I can hear you on the other side of the island without even trying,” David agrees, rolling his eyes a bit. “I know you remembered my mother a bit more. And looked into her life. And my life.” 

Charles isn’t really sure if that’s an invitation for him to speak, but after a stretch of silence, he decides it should be okay and speaks up. “I did. And I’m sorry. I should have been there through all of that. I know I haven’t given you much reason to believe it, but if I’d known about you before, I would have never let you go through any of that alone.” 

“That’s just the way it always is with you, from what I’ve heard. You always jump in too late with promises of how everything would have been different and how it’s never your fault that you don’t take responsibility,” David mumbles. He stares down at his shoes the whole while, a far cry from the loud, angry boy Charles had first met. 

“I’ve made mistakes in the past, yes, even under the best of circumstances, but I didn’t even know you existed, David. I had no way of knowing,” he insists, as carefully as he can. It won’t do any help to make it sound like he’s trying to shift the blame onto Gabby, he’s sure. 

“We’re the two most powerful telepaths in the world! You had a machine dedicated to finding mutants. How could you not find me?” David’s voice cracks and he pauses briefly before continuing, but Charles is polite enough not to point it out. “Even if you didn’t find me as your  _ son,  _ you went around saving every other little mutant you could find, but you couldn’t be bothered to find me.” 

Charles sighs. “Cerebro is… it’s not global and even then, I have to know what I’m looking for. Even the school couldn’t take in every mutant we found. It was just… bad luck.” 

“Bad luck,” David repeats. He shakes his head, seemingly resigned, and stands once more. “Of course. Well. Bad luck I didn’t grow up without a father and bad luck you don’t have a son, I suppose.” 

“Are you… leaving?” Charles asks. 

David just shrugs. “Not the island, but this house? Definitely leaving. I think I’ve heard enough for now.” 

“Of course. If you’d prefer I… leave Genosha… I’m sure I can make arrangements by the end of the week,” he offers, though the last thing Charles wants to do now is leave Erik and this place. 

“I’m not going to ask you to leave, Charles. Just… to keep your space. I think I was happier with no dad than a deadbeat one,” David says. 

He lingers at the doorway and for a moment, Charles thinks he might say more, but no. A moment later, David is gone again. And… almost as quickly as he’d seemingly gained a son, he’s lost him again. No matter. Charles allows himself a few moments to mourn what might have been before putting on a stiff upper lip and going to find Erik once more so they can go about their usual days. It won’t be more than just a dull ache by tomorrow. Losing things is what he does. He’s grown rather good at it. 

**Author's Note:**

> aaaanyways I'm lowkey team david, but I won't tell any of y'all how to feel lol
> 
> find me on twitter @sebbypn


End file.
